KR20200089080A - Laundry treatment machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A laundry treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a drum rotationally installed inside a body; a drive motor that provides rotational power to the drum; a lifter mounted on the inner circumferential surface of the drum; a dryness sensing device provided in the lifter; a wireless power receiving unit electrically connected to the dryness sensing device and provided in the lifter; a wireless power transmitting unit disposed between the body and the drum in correspondence with the wireless power receiving unit; and a control unit that receives a sensing result from the dryness sensing device and calculates dryness based on the received sensing result.

Description

Laundry processing equipment {LAUNDRY TREATMENT MACHINE}

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment device.

In general, a laundry treatment device having a drying function, such as a washing machine or a dryer, is a device that evaporates moisture from laundry by supplying hot air to the wet clothing.

As an example of a dryer, the drum is rotatably installed inside the main body, the laundry is put into the drum, the driving motor driving the drum, the blowing fan blowing air into the drum, and heating the air flowing into the drum. Heating means may be provided.

Meanwhile, the dryer may be classified into a circulating dryer and an exhaust dryer according to a method of discharging hot and humid air. The air exiting the drum has moisture in the laundry inside the drum and becomes air in a high temperature and high humidity condition. The circulating dryer has a method of cooling air below a dew point temperature through heat exchange means while condensing moisture contained in the hot and humid air and re-supplying it while circulating the hot and humid air without being discharged outside the dryer. Then, the exhaust-type dryer has a method of directly discharging the air in the high temperature and humidity state passing through the drum to the outside.

On the other hand, there may be a heater method using a high-temperature electric resistance heat generated by electrical resistance as the heating means or using combustion heat generated by burning gas.

Alternatively, there may be a heat pump system as the heating means. The heat pump system includes a heat exchanger, a compressor, and an expander, and increases energy efficiency by allowing the refrigerant circulating through the system to heat the air supplied to the drum after recovering the energy of the hot air exhausted from the drum.

On the other hand, the laundry treatment device may be provided with a dryness sensor for detecting the dry state of the laundry, that is, the dryness. For example, the dryness sensor may detect the dryness of laundry by measuring the resistance value of the laundry through a change in voltage when two metal plates are placed side by side and laundry is sandwiched between each metal plate.

The dryness sensor is provided at the bottom of the door part to indirectly detect the dryness, but it may be difficult to accurately detect the dryness.

For accurate detection of dryness, a dryness sensor must be implemented inside the drum to directly contact the laundry. That is, since the dryness sensor must be implemented inside the drum, the laundry treatment device must be manufactured to connect the outside and the inside of the drum through a cable or a terminal to supply power to the dryness sensor. However, since the drum is rotated by a driving motor, connection through the cable or terminal may be difficult.

In this regard, Patent Document 1 (Public Patent Publication No. 10-2004-0049186, published on November 11, 2014) is provided with an insulating band and a metal band on the outer circumferential surface of the drum, and a brush in close contact with the metal band on the inner surface of the body. And, the brush is implemented to be connected to the power supply through a conducting wire, and there is disclosed a configuration for supplying power to the dryness sensor inside the drum.

However, according to Patent Document 1, since the insulating band, the metal band, and the brush have to be additionally implemented, process difficulty may increase. In addition, when the dryer is used for a long time, the contact force between the brush and the metal band may decrease due to wear of the brush, and in this case, power supply to the drum may not be smooth.

1. Published Patent Publication No. 10-2004-0049186 (published on November 11, 2004)

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of simplifying configurations for supplying power to a dryness sensor provided inside the drum.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of more accurately measuring the dryness of laundry through a dryness sensor.

The laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a dryness sensing device and a wireless power receiving unit in a lifter, and includes a wireless power transmitting unit disposed between the main body and the drum in correspondence to the wireless power receiving unit. It is not necessary to configure cables, wires, etc. for power supply by wires between the inside and outside. Therefore, the process difficulty for connecting the cables or wires can be reduced.

The wireless power receiving unit may include a receiving coil, and the wireless power transmitting unit may include a transmitting coil disposed to face the receiving coil.

According to an embodiment, the transmitting coil may be disposed under the drum among the inside of the main body. The control unit of the laundry processing device calculates the position of the lifter based on the rotational state of the drum, and when the calculated position falls below the center of the drum, the wireless power transmitter to supply power to the wireless power receiver Can be controlled.

According to an embodiment, the control unit controls the driving of the driving motor to rotate the drum when performing the drying process, calculates a proximity cycle of the receiving coil and the transmitting coil based on the rotational speed of the drum, and calculates The wireless power transmitter may be controlled to supply power to the wireless power receiver based on a predetermined period. That is, the control unit may minimize power waste by controlling power to be transmitted in a positional relationship in which wireless power transmission efficiency is maximized.

According to an embodiment, the control unit may minimize unnecessary waste of power by controlling the wireless power transmitter to supply power to the wireless power receiver when a predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying process.

The dryness sensing device acquires the sensing result based on the power provided from the wireless power receiver, outputs the sensing result through an NFC transmitter, and the control unit includes an NFC reader provided inside the main body. Through this, the sensing result may be received. That is, by implementing a communication connection between a control unit for transmitting sensing results and a dryness sensing device in a wireless communication method, it is possible to prevent an increase in process difficulty due to connection of a communication cable or the like.

The control unit may detect the completion of the drying stroke and stop the driving of the driving motor when the calculated drying degree is equal to or greater than the reference drying degree.

According to an embodiment, when the calculated dryness is less than the reference dryness, the controller may perform a more efficient drying stroke by adjusting the driving of the drive motor based on the calculated dryness.

According to an embodiment, when the calculated dryness is less than the reference dryness, the control unit may perform a more efficient dryness sensing operation by changing a power transmission period based on the calculated dryness.

Each of the at least one dryness sensor included in the dryness sensing device is spaced apart from each other so that a part is exposed through one surface of the lifter, so that the sensing result required for calculating the dryness can be more accurately obtained through contact with laundry. Can.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the laundry treatment apparatus is configured to arrange a dryness sensing device and a wireless power receiver connected therewith in a lifter provided in the drum, and a wireless power transmitter in a position corresponding to the wireless power receiver in a space outside the drum. Can be placed. Since the dryness sensing device can operate by receiving power according to a wireless power transmission method, a configuration of a cable or a wire for supplying power between the inside and the outside of the drum is unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the process difficulty and reduce the number of parts when manufacturing the laundry treatment device.

In addition, the laundry treatment device is implemented to sense the dryness when the dryness sensor is located below the center of the drum during the rotation of the drum, so that the dryness of the laundry can be more accurately sensed.

In addition, the laundry treatment device is implemented to acquire the sensing result of the dryness sensor through a short-range wireless communication method such as NFC, so that a cable for communication connection between the dryness sensor inside the drum and a control unit outside the drum can be removed. Can. Accordingly, process difficulty in manufacturing a laundry treatment device may be effectively reduced.

1 is a perspective view of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view schematically showing the internal configuration of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a schematic block diagram of a control configuration of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a schematic block diagram of the configuration of the dryness sensing device illustrated in FIG. 3.
5 is a view schematically showing an example of a dryness sensor and a wireless power receiving unit disposed on a lifter of a laundry treatment device.
6 is a schematic block diagram of the configuration of the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver shown in FIG. 3.
7 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the laundry treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an exemplary diagram for a detailed description related to the operation of the laundry treatment device shown in FIG. 7.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical spirit disclosed in the specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes and equivalents included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention It should be understood to include water to substitutes.

1 is a perspective view of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a view schematically showing the internal configuration of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the following drawings, the dryer 1 is described as an example of a laundry treatment device, but the embodiments of the present invention are not only applied to the dryer 1, but can also be applied to various laundry treatment devices such as a washing machine having a drying function.

Dryer (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention, the overall appearance by the main body 10 is formed with an inlet 11 for the introduction of clothing on one side, and the door 20 for opening and closing the inlet 11 Can be formed.

Inside the main body 10, a drum 15 rotatably installed and the clothes are dried may be provided. The drum 15 is opened toward the inlet 11, so that a user can provide clothing to the inside of the drum 15 through the inlet 11.

The main body 10 may be provided with an operation unit 12 for operating the dryer 1. The operation unit 12 may be located above the inlet 11.

The operation unit 12 may be provided with an operation button, a rotary switch, and the like for selecting a function provided to the dryer 1. For example, the user operates an operation button or a rotary switch provided on the operation unit 12 to turn on or off the power of the dryer 1, input a drive start or drive stop command, or operate mode and The drying time and the like can be set.

A display 13 may be further provided on the manipulation unit 12. On the display 13, an operation state of the dryer 1, a set operation mode, and time information may be output.

A drawer 14 may be provided on one side of the main body 10, and liquid or the like to be sprayed on the drum may be stored inside the drawer 14.

The main body 10 may be provided with a driving motor 300 that provides rotational power to the drum 15. A power transmission member 360 for rotating the drum 15 is provided on one rotational axis of the driving motor 300, and the drum 15 is connected to the driving motor 300 by the power transmission member 360. It can be connected to receive power. The power transmission member 360 may be a pulley or a roller.

The main body 10 may be provided with a supply passage for supplying air heated by the drum 15 and a duct forming an exhaust passage through which the air inside the drum 15 is discharged. The duct may include a supply duct 30 forming the supply passage and an exhaust duct 40 forming the exhaust passage.

In addition, the main body 10 may be provided with a blower fan 50 for forcing the flow of air. The blowing fan 50 is in communication with the supply duct 30 and the exhaust duct 40, so that air is supplied to the interior of the drum 15 through the supply duct 30, the exhaust duct 40 ) Can be forced to discharge the air inside the drum (15).

The blower fan 50 is provided on the exhaust passage to allow air discharged from the drum 15 to be sucked into the exhaust duct 40.

The blower fan 50 may be provided to be connected to the rotating shaft of the driving motor and rotated simultaneously with the drum 15. Of course, the blower fan 50 may be connected to a separate motor from the driving motor and rotated independently of the drum 15.

On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention will be described as an example of a circulating dryer in which the air inside the dryer circulates, but the present invention is not limited to the circulating dryer and reveals that it can be applied to an exhaust dryer.

When the dryer 1 is a circulating dryer, the exhaust duct 40 may be provided to guide air that is forcibly blown to the supply duct 30.

On the other hand, when the dryer 1 is an exhaust type dryer, the exhaust duct 40 may be provided to guide the air that is forcedly blown to the outside.

The supply duct 30 may extend to the rear side of the drum 15, and an outlet through which heated air is discharged to the drum may be provided at an end.

The exhaust duct 40 may extend downward and forward of the drum 15, and an intake port through which air inside the drum is sucked may be formed at an end.

A heater (not shown) for heating the air supplied by the electric resistance heat may be further provided on the supply flow path of the supply duct 30. As the heater is provided, it is possible to further improve the heatability of the supplied air.

A filter 45 may be provided on the exhaust passage of the exhaust duct 40 to filter out foreign substances such as lint contained in the air discharged from the drum 10.

On the other hand, the main body 10 may be provided with a heat pump system 60 for absorbing waste heat from the air discharged from the drum 15 and heating the air supplied into the drum 15.

The heat pump system 60 includes an evaporator for cooling air discharged from the drum 15, a compressor for compressing refrigerant, a condenser for heating air supplied into the drum 15, and expansion A thermodynamic cycle can be constructed including the valve. The evaporator, the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve are sequentially connected by piping, and refrigerant may circulate through the piping.

The refrigerant may be compressed in the compressor to become a gas state of high temperature and high pressure. In addition, the condenser becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid state, and can exchange heat with low-temperature air to be supplied to the drum 15. And, it can be expanded in the expansion valve to a low-temperature, low-pressure gas state. In addition, the evaporator may exchange heat with hot and humid air discharged from the drum 15.

The air supplied to the drum 15 may be heat exchanged in the condenser and heated to a high temperature. In addition, the hot and humid air discharged from the drum 15 is heat-exchanged in the evaporator, cooled, and moisture is removed to be dry. The moisture contained in the high-humidity humid air can be condensed and collected by the evaporator, and can be discharged to the outside through a drain pipe.

The evaporator may be provided with an exhaust passage on the exhaust duct 40. In addition, the condenser may be provided on the supply flow path of the supply duct 30.

A machine room communicating with the exhaust duct 40 and the supply duct 30 may be formed inside the main body 10, and the compressor and the expansion valve may be provided in the machine room. Further, the driving motor may also be provided in the machine room.

Meanwhile, at least one lifter 16 may be mounted on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 15. At least one lifter 16 may function to pump laundry up to a certain height so that the laundry falls by gravity when the drum 15 rotates. Accordingly, aggregation or entanglement of laundry may be alleviated, and drying of the laundry may be more smoothly performed.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the drying degree sensing device 200 may be provided in at least one lifter 16. The dryness sensing device 200 may include at least one dryness sensor for sensing the dryness of laundry. For example, the at least one dryness sensor may include a plurality of metal plates, and may be implemented to measure the resistance value of the laundry through a change in voltage when the laundry is laid between the plurality of metal plates to form a circuit. In this case, the plurality of metal plates may be exposed into the drum 15 through one side of the lifter 16 in order to directly contact the laundry.

Meanwhile, the dryer 1 may include a wireless power transmitter 220 and a wireless power receiver 240 to supply power to the dryness sensing device 200 provided in the lifter 16. The wireless power transmitter 220 is disposed in a space between the main body 10 and the drum 15 and may be connected to a power supply unit (not shown) in the dryer 1 through a wire. The wireless power receiver 240 is disposed in at least one lifter 16 and may be connected to the dryness sensing device 200.

The wireless power transmitter 220 may supply power to the wireless power receiver 240 through a wireless power supply method such as a magnetic induction method or a magnetic resonance method. For example, in order to maximize the efficiency of power supplied wirelessly, the wireless power transmitter 220 and the wireless power receiver 240 may be provided at positions corresponding to each other.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the wireless power transmitter 220 may be disposed under the drum 15 among the main body 10, and the wireless power receiver 240 may be wireless power among the lifter 16. The transmitter 220 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the vertical direction. In this case, the wireless power receiver 240 may also rotate according to the rotation of the drum 15, and when the wireless power receiver 240 is located below the drum 15 during rotation, it is close to the wireless power transmitter 220. Thus, the efficiency of wireless power reception can be maximized.

The wireless power receiver 240 may receive power wirelessly from the wireless power transmitter 220 and supply power based on the supplied power to the dryness sensing device 200. The dryness sensing device 200 may perform a dryness sensing operation based on the supplied power.

The dryness sensing device 200 will be described in more detail later with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8.

In FIG. 2, the drying degree sensing device 200 and the wireless power receiving unit 240 are illustrated in each of the at least one lifter 16, but according to an embodiment, the dryer 1 includes at least one lifter 16. The drying degree sensing device 200 and the wireless power receiver 240 may be provided only in one of the lifters.

Hereinafter, a control configuration of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

3 is a schematic block diagram of a control configuration of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the laundry treatment device (dryer 1) may include an input unit 310 corresponding to the operation unit 12 described in FIG. 1. The input unit 310 may include an operation button for selecting a function provided to the dryer 1, a rotary switch, and the like. The user may turn on/off the power of the dryer 1 through the input unit 310, input a command to start or stop driving, or set a driving mode and a drying time.

The display 13 may output an operation state of the dryer 1, a set operation mode, time information, and the like. According to an embodiment, the display 13 may be implemented as a touch screen including a touch panel, and the touch screen may function as the input unit 310.

The dryer 1 may include a memory 320 that stores information such as algorithm data and set value data related to the operation of the dryer 1. In addition, the memory 320 according to an embodiment of the present invention may store data related to the control of the wireless power transmitter 220. In addition, the memory 320 may store algorithm data for measuring the dryness of laundry from the sensing result received from the dryness sensing device 200.

Further, the dryer 1 may include an external terminal or server, or a communication unit 330 for communicating with the drying degree sensing device 200 inside the drum 15. The communication unit 330 may include at least one communication module. For example, the communication unit 330 may include a Bluetooth communication module and/or a Wi-Fi communication module for connecting to a terminal and/or a server. Also, the communication unit 330 may include a near field communication (NFC) reader. Through the NFC reader, the control unit 340 may receive a sensing result from the dryness sensing device 200.

Meanwhile, the dryer 1 may include a control unit 340 that controls the overall operation of the dryer 1. The control unit 340 may include at least one processor or controller. Each of the at least one processor or controller may be implemented by a CPU, a microcomputer, an application processor (AP), an integrated circuit, or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

When an operation signal is received through the input unit 310, the control unit 340 may check information corresponding to the operation signal received from the memory 320. And, according to the information stored in the memory 320, it is possible to control the operation of the drive motor 300 and the heat pump system 60. For example, when a drying start command is input through the input unit 310, the control unit 340 may drive the compressor of the driving motor 300 and the heat pump system 60 to start drying. Then, when a command to end drying is input, the driving of the driving motor 300 and the compressor may be stopped to end drying.

In addition, the control unit 340 may control the wireless power transmitter 220 to supply power to the wireless power receiver 240 provided in the lifter 16. The wireless power transmitter 220 and the wireless power receiver 240 may transmit and receive power wirelessly by a magnetic induction method or a magnetic resonance method. The wireless power receiver 240 may supply driving power based on the received power to the dryness sensing device 200.

According to an embodiment, the control unit 340 may control the wireless power transmitter 220 to supply power when the wireless power receiver 240 is in a state close to the wireless power transmitter 220 while the drum 15 is rotating. have. The proximity state may mean a state in which the wireless power receiving unit 240 has reached a predetermined position during the rotation of the drum 15. For example, the memory 320 has an algorithm for calculating the rotation state (rotation speed, etc.) of the drum 15 according to the driving of the driving motor 300, and the positions of the lifter 16 and the wireless power receiver 240 accordingly. Can be saved. The control unit 340 calculates the positions of the lifter 16 and the wireless power receiver 240 based on the algorithm, and supplies power when the calculated positions are close to the wireless power transmitter 220 (predetermined positions). The wireless power transmitter 220 may be controlled to do so.

Alternatively, the control unit 340 calculates a period in which the wireless power receiver 240 approaches the wireless power transmitter 220 based on the rotational speed of the driving motor 300 or the drum 15, and power based on the cycle The wireless power transmitter 220 may be controlled to supply.

Alternatively, the control unit 340 may control the wireless power transmitter 220 to supply electric power for a predetermined period of time during a drying period, or to supply electric power for a specific period of time after the drying period has progressed for a predetermined time.

Meanwhile, the controller 340 may receive a sensing result from the dryness sensing device 200 through the communication unit 330 and measure the dryness based on the received sensing result.

For example, the controller 340 may adjust the driving of the driving motor 300 and the compressor based on the measured dryness or the change in the measured dryness. For example, when the measured change in dryness is less than or equal to a reference value, the control unit 340 may increase the rotational speed of the drive motor 300 or increase the rotational speed of the motor in the compressor.

According to an embodiment, when the measured dryness is greater than or equal to the reference dryness level, the control unit 340 may stop the driving motor 300 and the compressor to complete the drying process.

Hereinafter, a dryness sensing device 200, a wireless power transmitter 220, and a wireless power receiver 240 included in the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. do.

4 is a schematic block diagram of the configuration of the dryness sensing device illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 4, the dryness sensing device 200 may include a communication unit 202, a dryness sensor 204, a memory 206, and a microcomputer 208.

The communication unit 202 may transmit the sensing result obtained by the dryness sensor 204 to the control unit 340 of the dryer 1. For example, the communication unit 202 may include an NFC transmitter that outputs the sensing result according to the NFC communication method, or may include a communication module supporting other short-range wireless communication methods.

The dryness sensor 204 may be implemented to sense the dryness of laundry during the drying process. As described above, the dryness sensor 204 includes a plurality of metal plates, and when the laundry is laid between the plurality of metal plates to form a circuit, the resistance value of the laundry may be measured through a change in voltage.

The microcomputer 208 may transmit the sensing result including the measured resistance value to the control unit 340 through the communication unit 202.

According to an embodiment, the microcomputer 208 may receive a sensing command from the control unit 340 through the communication unit 202 and obtain a sensing result through the dryness sensor 204 based on the received sensing command.

The memory 206 may store various control data or algorithms related to the operation of the dryness sensing device 200. In particular, the memory 206 may store an algorithm for measuring a resistance value of laundry based on a change in voltage sensed by the dryness sensor 204.

According to an embodiment, an algorithm for measuring a resistance value of laundry based on a change in the voltage may be stored in the memory 320 described in FIG. 3. In this case, the microcomputer 208 may transmit a sensing result including information on a change in voltage sensed by the dryness sensor 204 to the controller 340. The control unit 340 may measure the resistance value of the laundry based on the sensing result and the algorithm stored in the memory 320, and calculate the dryness of the laundry based on the measured resistance value.

5 is a view schematically showing an example of a dryness sensor and a wireless power receiving unit disposed on a lifter of a laundry treatment device.

Referring to FIG. 5, the dryness sensing device 200 may include at least one dryness sensor. In FIG. 5, the dryness sensing device 200 is illustrated as including three dryness sensors 204a, 204b, and 204c, but the number of dryness sensor can be freely changed.

Each of the at least one dryness sensor 204a to 204c may be arranged to expose at least a portion through one surface of the lifter 16 (eg, a surface facing the inner center of the drum 15. Also, at least one The dryness sensors 204a to 204c are arranged to be spaced apart from each other, so that it is possible to effectively detect the dryness of laundry in various areas in the drum 15.

Meanwhile, the wireless power receiver 240 may include a receiver 246 for receiving power from the wireless power transmitter 220. The receiver 246 may be implemented in the form of a coil, but it is not necessarily the case and may have a different form according to a wireless power transmission method.

For example, when the wireless power transmitter 220 and the wireless power receiver 240 transmit and receive power according to a magnetic induction method, the receiver 246 is formed by the transmitter 228 of the wireless power transmitter 220 (see FIG. 6). The induction current based on the electromagnetic field to be formed can be supplied with power.

The receiver 246 may be disposed in an area adjacent to the inner surface of the drum 15 among the areas within the lifter 16 to be close to the wireless power transmitter 240 disposed outside the drum 15.

6 is a schematic block diagram of the configuration of the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver shown in FIG. 3.

The wireless power transmitter 220 and the wireless power receiver 240 may transmit and receive power according to various wireless power transmission methods such as a magnetic induction method or a magnetic resonance method.

The magnetic induction method is a method of using an electromagnetic induction phenomenon in which a voltage is induced and a current flows when a magnetic field is changed around a conductor through which electricity flows.

In the self-resonance method, when the transmitter and the receiver resonate at the same frequency, power may be transmitted according to wireless power transmission in which electromagnetic waves move from the transmitter to the receiver through an electromagnetic field. The transmitting coil of the transmitter may have a predetermined resonance frequency, and may generate electromagnetic waves and magnetic fields as power is supplied. At this time, induction power may be generated by the magnetic field in the receiving coil of the receiver.

That is, in this specification, transmitting power from the wireless power transmitter 220 to the wireless power receiver 240 is a receiver of the wireless power receiver 240 due to a magnetic field generated by the transmitter 228 of the wireless power transmitter 220 In 246, it means that the induced power is generated.

Referring to FIG. 6, the wireless power transmitter 220 may include a microcomputer 222, a memory 224, an oscillator 226, and a transmitter 228. As described above, the wireless power transmitter 220 may be disposed outside the drum 15, for example, in the main body 10, below the drum 15.

The microcomputer 222 may control the overall operation of the wireless power transmitter 220. For example, the microcomputer 222 may transmit power to the wireless power receiver 240 by receiving a control command for transmitting power from the controller 340 and controlling the oscillator 226 according to the received control command.

The memory 224 may store control data related to operations of components included in the wireless power transmitter 220.

The oscillator 226 may provide AC power to the transmitter 228 under the control of the microcomputer 220. For example, the oscillator 226 may maximize the efficiency of power supply by controlling the frequency of the power supplied to the transmitter 228 to a resonance frequency.

The transmitter 228 may supply power to the wireless power receiver 240 based on the AC power provided by the oscillator 226. For example, the transmitter 228 may include a transmitting coil that generates a magnetic field when providing the AC power, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the wireless power transmitter 220 may include only the oscillator 226 and the transmitter 228. In this case, the overall operation of the wireless power transmitter 220 may be controlled by the controller 340. In addition, control data related to the operation of the wireless power transmitter 220 may be stored in the memory 320.

The wireless power receiver 240 may include a microcomputer 242, a memory 244, a receiver 246, and a rectifier 248. As described above, the wireless power receiver 240 may be disposed inside the lifter 16 provided in the drum 15.

The microcomputer 242 may control the overall operation of the wireless power receiver 240. For example, when the AC power corresponding to the power received through the receiver 246 is rectified by the rectifier 248, the microcomputer 242 may be controlled to supply the rectified power to the dryness sensing device 200.

The memory 244 may store control data related to the operation of the components included in the wireless power receiver 240.

The receiver 246 can receive power from the transmitter 228. For example, the receiver 246 may include a receiving coil that generates induction power based on the magnetic field generated by the transmitter 228, but is not limited thereto.

The rectifier 248 may rectify an AC power corresponding to the induced power generated from the receiver 246. The power rectified by the rectifier 248 may be provided to the microcomputer 242 and the dryness sensing device 200.

According to an embodiment, the wireless power receiving unit 240 may further include a power storage unit 249 that stores power supplied through the receiver 246. For example, the power storage unit 249 may include a capacitor or a battery. In this case, the microcomputer 242 may control charging and discharging of the power storage unit 249 or provide power based on the power stored in the power storage unit 249 to the dryness sensing device 200.

Meanwhile, the wireless power receiver 240 may include only the receiver 246 and the rectifier 248, or may include only the receiver 246, the rectifier 248, and the power storage unit 249. In this case, power supplied through the receiver 246 may be rectified by the rectifier 248 and then directly provided to the dryness sensing device 200 or stored in the power storage unit 249.

That is, the laundry treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided with a wireless power transmitter 220 and a wireless power receiver 240, so that the dryness sensing device 200 disposed in the lifter 16 of the drum 15 Power can be supplied wirelessly. Therefore, the configuration for supplying power from the outside of the drum 15 to the inside can be simplified, and thus the difficulty of the manufacturing process can also be effectively lowered.

7 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the laundry treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the laundry treatment device (dryer 1) may start a drying process based on a drying start command received through the input unit 310 (S700 ).

The control unit 340 may receive a drying start command through the input unit 310 or the like. The drying start command may include information such as a drying mode and a drying time.

In response to the received drying start command, the control unit 340 may control the driving motor 300 and the heat pump system 60 to start the drying process.

The dryer 1 may control the wireless power transmitter 220 to supply power to the wireless power receiver 240 in the lifter 16 (S710).

When the drying process is started, the control unit 340 may calculate the dryness level of the laundry using the dryness sensing device 200.

The dryness sensing device 200 is connected to the wireless power receiver 240 and may not operate before receiving power from the wireless power receiver 240.

Accordingly, the controller 340 may control the wireless power transmitter 220 to supply power to the wireless power receiver 240 to operate the dryness sensing device 200.

According to an embodiment, since it is highly likely that the drying of the laundry is not completed in the initial section of the drying process, operating the dryness sensing device 200 in the initial section may be unnecessary in terms of power consumption and the like. Therefore, the control unit 340 may supply power to the wireless power receiver 240 by controlling the wireless power transmitter 220 after the drying process has been performed for a predetermined time.

According to an embodiment, the power transmission efficiency according to the wireless power transmission method may increase as the distance between the wireless power transmitter 220 and the wireless power receiver 240 is closer. Therefore, the control unit 340 while the lifter 16 having the wireless power receiving unit 240 is in a section within a predetermined distance from the wireless power transmitting unit 220 during rotation of the drum 15, the wireless power transmitting unit 220 It may be controlled to supply power to the wireless power receiver 240.

To this end, the control unit 340 calculates the position of the lifter 16 based on the rotation information (rotation speed, reference position, etc.) of the driving motor 300, or separately provided to sense the position of the lifter 16 The position of the lifter 16 can also be calculated by using a sensor (not shown). When the calculated position corresponds to a predetermined position, the control unit 340 may control the wireless power transmitter 220 to supply power to the wireless power receiver 240.

As described above in FIG. 6, the wireless power transmitter 220 may provide AC power to the transmitter 228 under the control of the controller 340. As AC power is applied to the transmitter 228, a magnetic field may be generated from the transmitter 228. The receiver 246 of the wireless power receiver 240 may receive power by generating inductive power based on the magnetic field.

The dryness sensing device 200 disposed in the lifter 16 may receive power from the wireless power receiver 240 (S720 ). The dryness sensing device 200 may obtain a sensing result related to the dryness of the laundry based on the received power, and transmit the obtained sensing result to the control unit 340 (S730 ).

When power is supplied from the wireless power transmitter 220 according to step S710, the wireless power receiver 240 may supply at least a portion of the supplied power to the dryness sensing device 200.

The microcomputer 208 of the dryness sensing device 200 may be activated based on the supplied power. The activated microcomputer 208 may acquire a sensing result related to the dryness of laundry through the dryness sensor 204 and transmit the obtained sensing result to the control unit 340 through the communication unit 202.

As described above, the dryness sensor 204 may include a plurality of metal plates, and detect a change in voltage as a circuit is constructed by washing laundry between the plurality of metal plates. The dryness sensing device 200 may measure a resistance value based on the change in voltage and transmit the measured resistance value to the control unit 340 as a result of the sensing.

Alternatively, the dryness sensing device 200 may transmit the change in voltage to the control unit 340 as the sensing result.

For example, the communication unit 202 of the dryness sensing device 200 may include an NFC transmitter that transmits the sensing result through an NFC communication method. Meanwhile, the communication unit 330 connected to the control unit 340 may include an NFC reader disposed in an area adjacent to the drum 15 in the main body 10. The NFC reader may receive the sensing result from the NFC transmitter when the dryness sensing device 200 provided on the lifter 16 is adjacent to the drum 15 as it rotates.

The control unit 340 of the dryer 1 may calculate the dryness level of the laundry based on the sensing result received from the dryness sensing device 200 (S740 ).

An algorithm or data for calculating the dryness of laundry based on the sensing result may be stored in the memory 320. The control unit 340 may calculate the dryness level based on the sensing result using an algorithm or data stored in the memory 320.

When the calculated dryness is higher than the reference dryness (YES in S750), the dryer 1 may detect that drying of the laundry is completed and complete the drying process (S760).

The control unit 340 may complete the drying process by stopping the driving of the driving motor 300 and the heat pump system 60 when the calculated drying degree is equal to or greater than the reference drying degree.

According to an embodiment, the control unit 340 outputs a notification of completion of the drying process through an output means such as a display 13 or a sound output unit (not shown), or through the communication unit 330 to a user's terminal or the like. Can send a completion message.

On the other hand, if the calculated dryness is less than the reference dryness (NO in S750), the dryer 1 may perform steps S710 to S740 again.

For example, the dryer 1 may supply power to the dryness sensing device 200 by controlling the wireless power transmitter 220 at every predetermined period to calculate the dryness at each predetermined period.

Depending on the embodiment, the cycle may be adjusted according to the calculated dryness. For example, as the calculated dryness approaches the standard dryness, the cycle may be shortened.

According to an embodiment, the dryer 1 may control the driving of the driving motor 300 and the heat pump system 60 based on the calculated drying degree.

8 is an exemplary diagram for a detailed description related to the operation of the laundry treatment device shown in FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 8, the wireless power transmitter 220 may be disposed under the drum 15 among the bodies 10. In this case, the dryness sensing device 200 may receive power more smoothly when positioned below the center of the drum 15, and may perform a sensing operation using the supplied power. That is, since the dryness sensing device 200 may be more easily contacted with laundry when located below the upper portion of the drum 15, it is appropriate that the wireless power transmitter 220 is disposed below the drum 15. Can.

On the other hand, the NFC reader 332 of the communication unit 330 may be disposed on the upper portion of the drum 15 inside the body 10, but this is not necessarily the case.

As the drying stroke of the dryer 1 is started, the drum 15 can rotate. As the drum 15 rotates, the position of the lifter 16 provided on the inner surface of the drum 15 may reciprocate while rotating between the lower and upper portions of the drum 15.

When the lifter 16 is located under the drum 15, the wireless power receiver 240 included in the lifter 16 receives power from the wireless power transmitter 220 and dries at least some of the supplied power. It can also be provided to the sensing device 200. The dryness sensing device 200 may obtain a sensing result through the dryness sensor 204 based on the provided power.

When the lifter 16 is positioned on the drum 15 according to the rotation of the drum 15, the NFC reader 332 senses the NFC from the NFC transmitter included in the communication unit 202 of the dryness sensing device 200. Results can be received.

The control unit 340 connected to the NFC reader 332 calculates the dryness level based on the received sensing result, completes the drying process based on the calculated dryness level, or drives the motor 300 and/or the heat pump system ( 60) can be controlled.

That is, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the laundry treatment device is disposed within the lifter 16, the dryness sensing device 200 and the wireless power receiving unit 240 connected to it, corresponding to the wireless power receiving unit 240 The wireless power transmitter 220 may be disposed at a location. Since the dryness sensing device 200 can operate by receiving power according to a wireless power transmission method, a configuration of a cable or a wire for supplying power between the inside and the outside of the drum 15 is unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the process difficulty and reduce the number of parts when manufacturing the laundry treatment device.

The laundry treatment device is implemented to sense the dryness when the dryness sensor 204 is located below the center of the drum 15 during rotation of the drum 15, thereby more accurately detecting the dryness of the laundry can do.

In addition, the laundry treatment device is implemented to acquire the sensing result of the dryness sensor through a short-range wireless communication method such as NFC, so that the dryness sensor 204 inside the drum 15 and the control unit 340 outside the drum 15 ) Cable for communication connection between may be removed. Accordingly, process difficulty in manufacturing a laundry treatment device may be effectively reduced.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention.

Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but to explain, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments.

The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical spirits within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (13)

A drum rotatably installed inside the body;
A drive motor that provides rotational power to the drum;
A lifter mounted on the inner peripheral surface of the drum;
A dryness sensing device provided in the lifter;
A wireless power receiving unit electrically connected to the drying degree sensing device and provided in the lifter;
A wireless power transmitter arranged between the main body and the drum in correspondence with the wireless power receiver; And
And a control unit for receiving a sensing result from the dryness sensing device and calculating a dryness level based on the received sensing result. According to claim 1,
The wireless power receiver includes a receiving coil,
The wireless power transmitter,
A laundry treatment apparatus comprising a transmitting coil disposed opposite to the receiving coil. According to claim 2,
The transmitting coil is a laundry treatment apparatus disposed in the lower portion of the drum in the interior of the body. According to claim 3,
The control unit,
When performing the drying process, the driving motor is driven to rotate the drum,
Calculate the position of the lifter based on the rotating state of the drum,
When the calculated position corresponds to the lower portion with respect to the center of the drum, the laundry processing device that controls the wireless power transmitter to supply power to the wireless power receiver. According to claim 3,
The control unit,
When performing the drying process, the driving motor is driven to rotate the drum,
A laundry treatment apparatus that calculates a proximity period between the receiving coil and the transmitting coil based on the rotational speed of the drum, and controls the wireless power transmitting unit to supply power to the wireless power receiving unit based on the calculated period. According to claim 2,
The control unit,
A laundry processing apparatus that controls the wireless power transmitter to supply power to the wireless power receiver when a predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying process. According to claim 1,
The dryness sensing device,
Acquiring the sensing result based on the power provided from the wireless power receiver,
The sensing result is output through the NFC transmitter,
The control unit,
A laundry processing device that receives the sensing result through an NFC reader provided inside the main body. According to claim 1,
The control unit,
When the calculated dryness is higher than the reference dryness level, the laundry treatment apparatus detects the completion of the drying stroke and stops the driving motor. According to claim 1,
The control unit,
When the calculated dryness is less than the reference dryness,
A laundry treatment apparatus that controls driving of the driving motor based on the calculated dryness. According to claim 1,
The control unit,
Control the wireless power transmitter to supply power to the wireless power receiver every predetermined period,
When the calculated dryness is less than the reference dryness,
A laundry treatment machine that changes the predetermined cycle based on the calculated dryness. The method of claim 10,
The control unit,
A laundry treatment apparatus for reducing the predetermined cycle as the calculated dryness is closer to the reference dryness. According to claim 1,
The dryness sensing device,
At least one dryness sensor;
Communication department; And
A laundry treatment apparatus comprising a microcomputer that controls the at least one dryness sensor. The method of claim 12,
Each of the at least one dryness sensor,
A laundry treatment apparatus which is spaced apart from each other so that a part is exposed through one side of the lifter.

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